It’s been more than a month since it first became clear that New Jerseyan Adeel Mangi’s nomination to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals was in trouble, and there’s been little reason for optimism since then. Three Senate Democrats have said they oppose Mangi, which is likely more than enough to prevent him from being confirmed by the Senate.
But U.S. Senator Cory Booker, Mangi’s chief advocate in the Senate, told the New Jersey Globe yesterday that he still sees a path towards confirmation.
“[Mangi’s nomination] is at the center of our work and our efforts,” Booker said. “It’s not over yet, and my hope is that we’re going to continue to work it. What’s happening to him is disgraceful, and it’s really bringing such shame to the United States.”
Mangi, a North Jersey attorney, was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee in January, the first step towards Senate confirmation. But he only moved forward after two intense bouts of questioning from Republican senators, who zeroed in on Mangi’s connections to a controversial center at Rutgers University and insinuated that Mangi was affiliated with antisemites and terrorists.
Senate Democrats, most prominently Booker and Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), have pushed back strongly against the attacks, saying that they’re rooted in Islamophobia; Mangi would be the first-ever Muslim federal appeals court judge if confirmed. A large number of national groups, among them many prominent Jewish organizations, have come to Mangi’s aid as well.
Crucially, though, not all Senate Democrats are on board. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-Nevada), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada), and Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) have all publicly said they oppose Mangi’s nomination, which in a closely divided 51-49 Senate means that he would have to get Republican support to be confirmed – which seems unlikely.
With the presidency and the Senate up for election this year, the clock is ticking for President Joe Biden and Senate Democrats to either find a way to confirm Mangi or switch to a new nominee. The Third Circuit is closely divided between Republican and Democratic appointees, so the stakes are high to put in a new judge before Republicans potentially take back the Senate or the White House.
Booker, though, maintained he’s not ready to entertain alternatives to Mangi just yet.
“Again, I’m still hopeful that we can get it through,” he said. “We’re going to work – I’m not going to talk about the strategy, but we’re still trying to get it done.”